Lamp attachment for vehicles.



G. S. SHERMAN.

LAMP ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

'1 ,028,144,, Patented June 4, 1912.

2 SHB-ETSSHBET 1.

Mi J 0.

G. s. SHERMAN; LAMP ATTACHMENT FOR VEHIQLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909 Patented June 4:, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

GEORGE S. SHERMAN, OF GREAT NECK, NEW YORK.

LAMP ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLESi recedes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,429.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. Srmnnax, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Great Neck, in the county of Nassau and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamp Attachments forVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lamp attachments for vehicles and in particularto attachments for automatically swinging the head lights of automobileswith the steering wheels.

One object of my invention is to provide novel means for accomplishingthe projection of the light in the direction the vehicle is about 'totake underthe guiding action of the steering wheels.

A. further object is to provide means for swinging the lamps in greateror lesser arcs than the steering wheels and for independently locking orreleasing the lamp brackets to and from'the swinging mechanism without.interfering with the steering mechanism and without the necessity ofdisconnecting any of the parts.

A. further object is to provide new and improved means for locking andreleasing the lamp brackets to and from the swinging mechanism.

A further object is to provide mechanism for directly connecting thelamp brackets to the drop arm of the steering gear.

A further object. is to provide means for causing the brackets toautomatically return to their normal position when the lamp suingingmechai'lism has turned them approximately to that position and to firmlyretain'them in such position irrespective of minormovementsof thesteering mechanism.

A still further object is to provide certain improvements in theconstruction, "orm and arrangement of the various parts whereby theobjects above enumerated may be obtained in a simple andctl'cct-ivemanner. A practical embodiment of the invention is shown inthe accompanying drawings in which,

l igure 1 is a side view of my lamp attachment in position on the frameof an automobile, showing the connection between the steering gear andthe lamp brackets. Fig. is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is afront. view of the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of my lampbrackets with a portion of its-rod connections. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a topplan view of the same. Fig. 7 is ahori zontal section in the plane of the line A of l 1g. 4, looking inthe dlrection of the arrows.

the plane of the line BB of Fig. 6, looki'ng in the direction of thearrows. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the bearing support taken inthe plane of the line CC of Fig.

verted section of the lamp carrying member, taken slightly below theplane of the line central section of the locking mechanism,

7, looking in'the direction of the arrows. Fig. 12 is a plan view of theoperating collar, and Fig. 13 is a side view of the locking pin. Theframe of by 1. and a radiator? is shown, in the pres-- ent instance, inorder toindicatemore clearly the relative positions of the parts to bedescribed.

frame and consists of the steering post 3 and the drop arm 4, a suitablegearing connecting the two for causing the drop arm to be swung in avertical plane on its pivot 5 drop arm +1- is shown. in the presentinstance. as provided with a ball (3 at its lower end for engagementwith the usual rod (not shown), connecting the steering gear with thesteering whccl (also not shown). bifurcated lamp carrying member is denoted by 7 and its shank by 8. The lower end of this shank may bescrew-threaded and provided with a washer and nut for rem assembledposition.

The lamp swinging member comprises the sleeve 10 and the arms 9 and 11.A. ball 12 is secured by a nut 13 to the arm 11. the said socket joints.lVhen in position, the sleeve 10 is loosely mounted on the lower portionof the shank 8, while the arm 11 extends at right angles to said shankand the ball 12 The bearing support for the lamp carrying member isprovided with an enlarged upper portion 14 and a lower later all)extending flange 15. The upper part of the inner upper edge is beveledto form one part of a ball bearing. This part is exterlorly Fig. 8 is avertical central section in part in 8, looking downwardly. Fig. 10 is anin- 5 C-C of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a detail vertical taken in the plane ofthe line DD of Fig.

the automobile is denoted The steering gear is supported by the 30 bythe rotation of the steering post. The 5 The no taining the parts to behereinafter described,

ball being of the kind used for ball and depends from the outer endof'the arm 11.

enlarged portion is of cup shape and its screw threaded for engagementwith the hearing cap 16, and the inner under edge of the said cap isalso beveled to form another part of the ball bearing, so that when thecap is screwed into position on the enlarged portion, the two bevelededges above mentioned, will fornran annular V-shaped horizontal groove.The shank 8 has a diskshaped portion 17 near its upper end, and thisdisk is provided with an annular, V- shaped groove. When the parts arein assembled position, the two above mentioned V-shapcd grooves lie injuxtaposition in the same plane and together form an annular race forthe balls 18, thus providing the ball bearing for the antifrictionsupport for the lamp carrying member. A locking ring 19 serves to securethe bearing cap 16 in its proper adjustment.

Secured to the shank of the lamp cariing member, intermediate thebearing support and the lamp swinging member, and forming a part of thelamp carrying member, is a sleeve 20; the means shown for securing thesaid sleeve to the said shank being the cotter 21, which bears against aflattened portion of the shank 8. This sleeve 20 is provided with aninteriorly threaded vertical hole 22 therethrough, offset from the shank8 of the lamp carrying member, for carrying the double ended lookingbolt The bolt 23 is cxteriorly provided, intermediate its ends, with ascrew thread 24 for engagement with the interior screw thread in thehole 22. This thread is of very high pitch and is provided with achannel 25, longitudinal of the b01t,'th'erethrough. The flange 15 ofthe bearing support and the lamp swinging member 10 are providedrespectively with sockets 26, 27, for receiving the ends 28, 29, of thebolt 23. An operating collar-30 is located in the sleeve 20,transversely of the hole 22, and surrounds the bolts It is provided witha lug 31 for engagement with the channel 25, and a handle 32 forconvenient manipulation of the collar.

The operation of the locking device is as follower-Tron the handle 32 ismoved to the right, the collar 30 turns, and as a result ot' theengagement between the lug 31 and channel 2:), the locking bolt.v 23also turns. As the bolt turns in this direction, the thread thereon causs it to rise until the end engages the socket 26, thus locking thesleeve 20 on the shank 8 to the flange 15 of the hearing support. When,on the other hand. the handle 32 is moved to the left, the is withdrawnfrom the socket 26 and it. .nd 29 caused to enter the socket 27, thuslocking the sleeve 20 on the shank 8 to the lamp swinging member. I thusprovide an. extremely simple and eflective locking draice which veryvaluable in practice. 2. rod 33 has a ball and socket ening gear, forimparting a swinging motion to the lamp swinging member-by the turningof the steering wheel and the consequentswinging movement of the droparm. This rod 33 has a pin and slot connection with the drop arm, whichconnection consists, in the present instance, of a radially elongatedslot 34 in the drop arm, through which a bolt 35, carried by theconnecting rod 33, extends, a nut 36 being used for adjustably securingthe bolt 35 at any desired point along the said slot. The farther awayfrom the pivot 5 of the drop arm 4 the rod is clamped, the greater willbe the swing of the lamp swinging member in proportion to any givenswing of the drop arm. I provide the bearing support with a plate 37 forsecuring the lamp bracket to the vehicle frame. The lamp bracket attheother side of the vehicle is constructed substantially like the onehereinabove described, with the exception that the lamp swinging memberdoes not have to have the arm 11 which is con nected to the steeringgear. The arms 9 of the two lamp swinging members are connected by across rod 38, so that, When one of the lamp swinging members ismovedbythe operation of the steering gear, the other lamp swinging memberwill be swung correspondingly.

In operation, when it is desired to swing both of the lampssimultaneously, the bolts 23 are both forced downwardly, ashereinabovebescribed, into position to lock both of the lamp swingingmembers to their respective sleeves 20 fixed to the shanks-of the lampcarrying members. When it is desired to disconnect both lamp carryingmembers from their swinging mechanism and at the same time lock the saidmembers against rotary movement, both of .the bolts 23 are forcedupwardly into, position to lock the sleeves 20 of the lamp carryingmembers to the bearing supports, this operation of thebolts serving torelease'the lamp swinging members from said sleeves of'thc lamp carryingmembers. If it -is desired to connect one lamp to its swinging mechanismand keep the other lamp stationary, the locking bolt of the lamp"oracle-3t, which is to be swung, may be forceddownwardly.

into position to lock its lamp swinging memberto the lamp carryingmember, while the other bolt may be retained in its position for lockingthe bracket which is to be held statibnary, to its bearing support. Inorder to insure the return of the lamp -carrying n'icmber 7, 8, exactlyto its normai position, when the lamp inging mechanism has brought itapgprmrnnately thereto, I provide the enlarged portion 1 101 the bearingsupport with one or more (in the present instance, I bali, piungersconsisting of springs to, followers a l and balls 4-2. The diskportion1? is provided on under side with a cam plate comprising, in the presentiiistance, three raised-faces t3 and three notches This cam piate is solocated that the balls by the springs 40.

The operation of this device is as tollows :*When the lamp carryingmember is in its normal position and the'lamp swinging member is lockedthereto, the halts 4-2 rest in the notches 414; but when the lampcarrying member is turned, the raised faces 13 depress the balls42, thuscontracting the swings 40. hen the lamp swinging mechanism brings thebrackets 7, 8, back approximately to their normal position, the pressureof the balls 42 on the sloping cam surfacescauses the balls to seek thenotches 44, and this force returns the bracket exactly to its normalposition, even though the lost motion in the lamp swinging linkage mightotherwise permit it to remain. uskew.

til positively dislodged by the swinging mechanism. The lost motion inthe lamp swinging linkage and steering gear will permit the lamp bracketto remain immovable until some pronounced turn is imparted to thesteering traction wheels, thus avoidii any unnecessary wabblin'g of thelamps (lie to slight movements of the steering in ordinary travelstraight roads.

Thus it will be seen that i provide a device which is perfectly adaptedfor the use for which it is intended, which may be quickly andeffectively locked to rotate or against rotation, and in which thebracket is forced to yieldingly occupya given position in the bearingsupport until positively turned therefrom.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that by changingtoe position of the locking pins in the lamp bra of the vehicle, eitherone of the b'raeke be caused to swing, by the operation of steeringgear, with the steering trac wheels; and by varying the adjustn'ient ofthe rod 35 on the drop arm 4?, the angle of movement of the brackets canbe varied at will.

The lamp brackets may be provided with any suitable or ap iroved form oflamps which may be supported by the bifurcated portions of the lampcarrying members.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to confine myself strictly tothe form and arrangement of the various partsherein three) recesses 39,for receiving yielding contact therewith Furthermore, this device willhold I the bracket firmly in its normal position unllltty alongcomparatively;

' raised faces and notches exterior screw thread on the bolt,

on said collar for t igag' shown and described, as chai'iges may be madewithout departing from the spirit; and I scope of, my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A vehicle lamp bracket comprising, a iamp carrying mel'nber, abearing support therefor having a socket therein, a iamp swinging memberhaving a socket therein, a sleeve intermediate the bearing support andlamp swinging member fixed on s: lamp carrying member and having a holetherein, a double ended bolt mounted in said hole, a'nd means formining-said bolt. into engagement with either the socketin the lampswinging member 0 the socket in the bearing support, the said meanscomprising; an interior screw thread in said hoie, an and means forrotating the bolt.

A, vehicle lamp bracket compr sing, lamb carrying men'iber, a bearingthan-for having a socket therein, swinging member having a socket asleeve interi'nediate the bearing support and lamp swinging member fixedon iamp carrying member and having hole therein, a double ended boltmounted in said hole, and. means for-moving said bolt into engagementwith either the socket in the lan'rp swinging member orthe socket in thebearing support, the said mean alamp therein,

prising, an *nterior screw thread in t hole, e: not screw thread o,

o1 he the. through, a rotatable collar mou said sleeve and surrounhaving a channel, longitudinal said and a handle for rotatiu the coilar.

3. A venicie lamp, lta'acket comp lan'ip carrying member, a rin Vtherefor, and means for causing t lilo carryi member to yicldaigiy we Igiyen position in the bearing support,

cam plate ha .reon, and sp, v. ,1 pressed plungers co-acting therewith4:. A vehicle lamp bracket comprising lan'ip carry member, a bearingsituiport thcre or and means ta can 3 the lamp carrf. ,mber tofv'ieldingiy occupy a given on Lion in the bearing siripport, the

said means comprising a said means comprising a cam plate having raisedfaces and notches thereon and sormg I pressed hall plunger-s (to-actingtherewith.

in testimony, that I claim the for going as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two witnesse this sixteenth d ay of December1908. I

GEORGE S. SHlDEP/IAN. Witnesses I Bauer, HENRY ilnii mm.

